the handy hubby edition

Doug and I have a to-do list for the house with a couple 'big' projects. We are planning one bigger project per month and then smaller ones as we can. This last weekend he did these:

Installed an under cabinet towel holder, saving counter space. I liked this model, it has some racheting technique so that only one square comes at a time instead of the thing endlessly unspooling. Cool.

Got rid of the old ugly rusty gold light fixture in the laundry room. This was extremely frustrating for Doug. He gets up there and finds insulation that looks like it was possibly burnt by the wires, none of our wires were the right color they were supposed to be, and there was an extra one, or something he couldn't tell which one was supposed to be the ground. And two of the wires had to be wired together otherwise the lights in our bedroom and bathroom wouldn't work. Crazy! He was googling for hours trying to figure out what to do. It's working though and we haven't burnt the house down yet, so that's good! This house had been flipped before Doug got it, and we can tell they McGyver'd many a thing in the house.

Doug also added this slide chain, which alternately makes me feel safer and also like I live in a dangerous neighborhood (which I don't!) Our door window is high and the person outside is on a lower step so the window is useless to see who is out there. I thought the slide chain would be good to see who is out there and then decide to open the door or not. And if things go wrong I can always beat someone senseless with the metal bat Doug keeps by the door.

Doug also surprised me with a recreation of one of our first dates.

The living room tent under the stars.

And just like last year we got delicious pizza and laid in the tent in front of a 'roaring fire' and he asked me questions.

This year's date also included a s'mores upgrade

Another addition was a small annoying cat throwing her body at the side of the tent trying to get the tent strings, but anyway, it was a very nice date!

Treasure Hunt

Saturday morning Doug had planned a special date for us. He had told me earlier in the week that he was mailing me something, and not to open it- it was for Saturday. Friday's mail came, and nothing. Saturday he came over for breakfast and couldn't believe it hadn't come. I told him he should not have left our date in the hands of the USPS! So we had breakfast and he suggested I check the mail again. Our mail usually arrives after noon, and it was around 9:30, but I checked and it was there!

And inside the envelope was a treasure map!

We let love lead us and it led to a nature area. We got out of the car and walked down the trail and came to a kayak. And Doug rowed me across a lake to a tiny island.

We got to the island and Doug led me to an area where he had set up some tiki torches and a hammock

He said part of the date involved trust, and he asked me to sit on a blanket and he blindfolded me (I put one in my mouth and made jokes) I could hear all kinds of rustling noises around me and kept asking if he was surrounding me with fritos.

When he took the blindfold off, I was surrounded by, not fritos but, 6 dozen roses and he was kneeling over me. And he said, Anne I took you on a treasure hunt today, but you are the true treasure - will you marry me? And I said yes :)

Next he hands me a shovel and tells me to dig. And I dug up a package he had buried containing 34 pages of our facebook messages from when we started talking again last fall along with a couple love letters. We laid in the hammock and read together

And Doug used his tripod to try to get one of us together. Not so easy to set up the camera, and try to run and hop on a hammock in under 10 seconds!

I felt like the Bachelorette with all my roses

Doug will you accept this rose?

He did. He did.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch and then packed up and headed home to share our good news.

Doug first told his parents that I said "no" and when I called my parents I told them we had gotten married that day. Since he had already talked to them and knew the plan, I felt like they needed to be surprised by something!

Becks was surprised to hear the news

But he soon accepted it

On our first date Doug had given me keys to lockers in our town's skating center which held roses, and letters. And that day he again gave me two locker keys. We attempted to go to the skating center, but it was closed, and missed it again the next day too! I joked to Doug that the locker would become our personal time capsule and we'd return on our 25th anniversary, but the next day the place was open so I went and opened my lockers.

I can't even say how happy I am for how God has moved in my life and blessed me with such a wonderful man to spend the rest of my life with.

just around the river bend

Doug took me kayaking yesterday in the river that goes through our town. It was a lot of logistics first of leaving cars at one end, and carpooling to the other end, etc, but it was worth it I thought.

I have kayaked before, in lakes, and even on a river once. He might not have guessed that from my kayak skills demonstrated yesterday though. He put my boat in and instantly I was in these choppy waters and into a big overhanging branch. Another time the loop on the end of my kayak for carrying it got stuck on a branch and I watched Doug getting further and further away while I was trapped. He paddled upstream to get me, then swam over to free me. My hero! It was really peaceful and beautiful on the river. We saw ducks, a family of geese, a crane, and a deer that was probably 8 feet away sitting in really tall grass and thinking we couldn't see him.

Even with all our logistical planning I left my bag in the wrong car so had no change of clothes, and a wet bathing suit bottom so we just went to taco bell for dinner. Doug had been wanting to introduce me to some cinnabun ball things they have, yum. And then I went home only to realize I couldn't find my purse. I became convinced that I had left it on the table and was looking everywhere, even in the pantry and freezer. So finally I remembered I left it on Doug's table. And as I start out the door I realized he was probably almost home and would bring it to me. So I didn't want to leave and then miss him midway. Jill said I could use her phone to call him, but I don't even know his phone number! Shame! So I fb msg'd him and he was on his way. My hero again :)

Tonight he came over for some beef and bean enchiladas I made with roasted pepper (thanks Phil!) sauce. It was ok. Needed toppings. And we just sat on the couch and talked. I was trying to get a picture with my boys, but we took like 20 and Doug was making some silly face in EVERY one. This picture's theme was 'let's yawn like Becks'. (only Becks had stopped yawning by then)

Actually in most of the 20 pictures Doug's face is a version of this face, even though the rest of the theme was 'take a good picture together' haha.

counseling

Yesterday Doug and I had another pre-engagement/pre-marital counseling. Stan had given us an assignment to write our own vows. Not necessarily to use in our wedding, but to talk about our feelings and to express what it means to us to vow our lives to one another. Ever my style, I had writer's block until the night before. But I did it. So at our session Stan read them both, and then had us read each others. His were good. Real good. It brought out a couple tears, which I tried to wipe away nonchalantly, but Stan was joking "oh take a kleenex Anne, I don't charge extra for those". And then I had to talk about why it made me cry, it wasn't enough to just say they were sweet, oh no, not on Stan's watch. So we talked about why they meant what they did. It was good.

Tonight we were supposed to double date in Ann Arbor with Jill but plans went a little awry so Jill, Doug, and I went to Royal Oak. We got mexican for dinner and walked around a bit and then got icecream. Mmmmm... eskimo kisses

hey I didn't know mine was going to be triple the size of theirs, no judgment, but not that I'm complaining too much....

also this picture makes me want to say "big---meaty----claws---" in a voice like Mr. Krabs in spongebob, haha.

Anyway. And here we are enjoying a lovely spring evening

I have also been working on some crafts lately. A little peek:

Normally I like to knit baby hats for friend's having babies, however, all the recent friends having boys and/or spring/summer babies put me in a quandary. I don't really want to spend all that time knitting if no spring/summer baby is going to wear it because it's too hot. So I've been thinking of other crafty baby gifts.

And speaking of babies, shout out to Jenna and her new baby girl, happy birthday Hope!

easy as pie

Doug came over on saturday and brought me these:

pretty

We watched the movie Labor Day last week (book- good, movie-ok), and I felt inspired to make a pie. I wanted peach like in the movie, but Doug voted apple, and since he went to the store to buy the fruit, apple it was.

He was in charge of the apple prep

I got to wrap my arms around him and teach him how to use a peeler (he of course made a Ghost joke)

Hey! The guy in the movie looked much more romantic to make pies with!!

turns out you can google the 'pie dough recipe from Labor Day', but not sure I would make again. It was ok. I don't know, I don't like crust anyway, usually I just only eat the fruit/filling anyway and leave the empty pie shell.

they looked like they would overflow

from another recipe site you made a sauce to pour over the apples

And finally we got to enjoy it!!

the only thing "easy" about pie is eating it, it took us an hour or so to make it, but it was fun baking together :) and come peach season I'm making me a cobbler!

He is risen!

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow

Lord, now indeed I find, Thy power and Thine alone, Can change the leper's spots, And melt the heart of stone

Oh, praise the one who paid my debt, And raised this life up from the dead. Oh, praise the one who paid my debt, And raised this life up from the dead

Thank you Jesus!!

This song was on my heart yesterday as we celebrated Easter. I went to my parent's church and celebrated Easter with them. I really like a traditional service on special services and it was a good one. I always love how the pastor says "He is risen" and everyone says back, "He is risen indeed!!" After church Doug's parents came up and had Easter dinner with my parents and us. Mom made super tasty food: cheesy mashed potatoes, asparagus, a standing rib roast, fresh garlic bread, I brought pineapple and this kale salad I made

Doug's parents brought wine and dessert. It was a really nice time. I was noticing our parents have a lot in common. They all sing in the choir, and they have similar faith upbringings. It was really nice. Doug's parents left and then Doug stayed with me, Mom and Dad and we went for a nice walk in this nature preserve area in our town. It was a great day.

And, the Easter bunny who hardly ever visited me as a kid, finally got his act together and brought me a basket!

Saturday was a really nice day too, after work Doug came and we went out on a bike ride. I had packed a picnic dinner and we laid on his snuggie blanket in a sunny field and ate and rested and talked. It was wonderful.

busy week

This week has been super tiring. Man, I am not made for full time work! I shudder at the thought of 12 hour shifts. All I do is walk around at work getting stuff, making beds, hooking up patients, running to the lab or to get blood, busy busy busy all day, but yet I gain weight. I don't understand. Anyway, when I got home today it felt really good to lay down on the couch. I laid there and read this mag for about an hour

I really like frivilous reading, and I liked this bachelorette so it was a fun read

Then I finally had some energy to do a bit of a workout. I got this new video a couple weeks ago. ($6 ebay!) I've mostly made peace about the fact that I will never have a long lean dancer's body. I mean, come on, I'm only 5'5 and have always been more towards muscular build. I have this picture of me when I'm like 3 or 4 standing by the beach and pointing at the water. In the picture you can see my little bubble butt and little kid muscular arms. It's funny because my body looks the same way now (well, plus boobs and hips). But anyway, this workout is pretty good. She has this 15 minute routine for 'swan arms' and who would think that just flapping your arms like a swan (with no weights at all) would be such a tiring thing, but it is. Anyway, pretty good video. And the butt routines are super tough too.

In the exciting world of Doug's facial hair, it has been undergoing some renovation. First he trimmed the mustache part off so it was just a big W. (no pic, sorry) and then he trimmed it again and called it 'the anchor'

Finally he cut it all the way off. He didn't want to shave it because he thought I might like it and then he'd have to do it all the time. His fear came true, I liked it. Sorry. Plus it's a huge bonus not being scratched and poked all the time by pokey beard hairs. Despite the 'beard conditioner' he bought, haha.

Also this week Doug and I went out for our official 4 month anniversary.

He took me to MEX, like an upper scale mexican restaurant where they have this kale salad I love.

kale, arugula, yellow beets, pepitas, goat cheese, avocado, honey-cumin dressing. Amazing.

my hot date

to many more!